Miklós Sirokay

Nicholas I   in Hungarian I. Miklós ( in some documents as Miklós of Siroka, after the estates of his father, Count Peter II of Aba, lord of Szalánc, or as Miklós Grevin or Miklós Gereven, likely due to his social status as "Graf" or "Greve", meaning count) is considered one of the key figures of the Báthory of Gagy family. Between 1338 and 1342, he served as royal doorkeeper, and later, from 1342 to 1344, he held the position of Voivode of Transylvania. Nicholas' lineage traces back to the Aba clan, which was related to the ruling House of Árpád.

Family tree of Count Peter II of Aba, Lord of Szalánc and his son Nicholas I Voivode of Transylvania

Family background and voivodeship

Nicholas I descended from the lineage of Samuel Aba, the third King of Hungary. The family’s coat of arms featured the Árpád stripes, emphasizing their connection to the Árpád dynasty.

Nicholas served as a royal doorkeeper between 1338 and 1342, a position that granted him influential connections within the royal court. In 1342, he was appointed Voivode of Transylvania, one of the most important political and military offices at the time. In medieval Hungary, particularly in the context of Transylvania, the Voivode of Transylvania was a title given to the military governor or ruler of the region. The voivode had significant authority over the military, legal, and administrative matters within Transylvania, serving as a representative of the king. This role made the voivode one of the most powerful officials in the kingdom. The position lasted from the 12th century until 1541 when the Principality of Transylvania was established. As voivode, Nicholas solidified his family’s influence in the Kingdom of Hungary and secured significant estates for them. In 1344, though, Louis I the Great stripped him of this title but Miklós still remained in his favour. He reappears later in history as an advocate of the King's Court of Justice.

Through royal favor, Nicholas acquired among others the villages of Gágy and Gagybátor in Abaúj County. He and his descendants adopted the names Gágyi and Báthory after these estates, and by the early 14th century, the family became known as significant landowners. Under Nicholas' leadership, they built residential and fortified castles, which served as power centers for the family. These castles were of strategic importance, providing defense against the continuous threats from both the Ottoman Empire and the Austrians.

The decline of the family

The male line of the Báthory family of Gagy died out in 1689, with the death of Gabriel II, the last male member of the family, who left no heirs. This not only marked the end of this branch of the Báthory name but also cast uncertainty on the future of the family’s estates.

Legacy and memory

Urbarium et Transcriptiones 1703 (detail)

The Báthory Castle in Gágy, an ancestral fortified castle, was reportedly still intact when Hassan, the Pasha of Timișoara, arrived in 1567 to assist John Sigismund Zápolya, the elected king, in the fight against the Austrians. Unfortunately, during the constant sieges, the castle was destroyed, and according to an inventory from 1703, only its ruins (ruinatum Castellum) remained.

Nicholas’ architectural and military legacy, especially the castles built in Gágy and Gagybátor, left a lasting mark on the family’s history and that of the region. Though these castles were destroyed over the centuries, historical records still preserve their memory.

Descendants of Nicholas I and the Báthory Family of Gagy in the Modern Era

In recent times, Tibor Báthory-Szőnyi has played a crucial role in verifying the Báthory family's lineage. Through meticulous research, Tibor traced his ancestry to the female branch of the family, specifically to Katalin, daughter of Sigismund Báthory of Gágy. This genealogical confirmation was formally conducted with the Civil Records Department in Hungary, relying on a range of civil, ecclesiastical, and archival documents.

Tibor Báthory-Szőnyi's work, particularly in his book Noblesse Oblige (ISBN 978-615-01-9476-9), offers an in-depth exploration of the family’s historical trajectory and its impact on Hungarian society. The book not only recounts the events and prominent figures of the Báthory family like Nicholas I but also examines their cultural and social contributions. Tibor's scholarship has contributed significantly to the preservation of the family's legacy, providing a deeper understanding of the family’s enduring role in Hungarian history.

Related family members

Samuel Aba – the third King of Hungary  

Amadeus Aba – Palatine of Hungary  

Count Peter of Aba – Lord of Szalánc Castle  

László of Gágy  – Nicholas’ brother, whose tombstone from 1332 displays the Aba clan’s Árpád-striped coat of arms. This tombstone is noteworthy as one of the oldest in Hungary, featuring a beautifully executed early Gothic heraldic style and representing the ancient coat of arms of the Aba clan.

Category: Voivodes of Transylvania  

Category: Hungarian noble families

Literature

• ÁLDÁSY, ANTAL: Monumenta Hungariae Heraldica, Magyar Czimeres Emléknek, III. Füzet, Magyar Tudományos Akadémia támogatásával kiadja a Magyar Heraldikai és Genealogiai Társaság, 1926, pg. 48–50.
• HÓMAN, BÁLINT/SZEKFÜ, GYULA: Magyar Történet, II. Kötet, Budapest, Királyi Magyar Egyetemi Nyomda, 1936.
• JÄGER-SUNSTENAU, HANNS: General-Index zu den Siebenmacher'schen Wappenbüchern. 1605–1961, Graz, Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt, 1964, p. 495.
• MARKÓ, LÁSZLÓ: A Magyar Állam Főméltóságai. Szent Istvántól Napjainkig. Életrajzi Lexikon, Budapest, Magyar Könyvklub, 2000, p. 292.
• SIEBMACHER, JOHANN: Siebmachers Wappenbuch, Bd. IV, Abt. 15, Adel von Ungarn IV. Der Adel von Ungarn sammt den Nebenländern der St. Stephans-Krone, Nürnberg, Verlag von Bauer & Raspe, 1891, Taf. 245.
• TÖRÖK, GYÖNGYI: Matthias Corvinus und die Renaissance in Ungarn, Schallaburg 1982, pg. 92–93.

Sources

• Article in "Kislexikon"

See also: Sirokay